


The Art of War

by mricj



Series: Banned Together Bingo 2020 [4]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Between Seasons/Series, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Changing Tenses, Character Study, Gen, Light Angst, Post-100 Year War (Avatar TV), Post-Canon, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:56:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28244280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mricj/pseuds/mricj
Summary: Being a Kyoshi Warrior means dying young.Or, at least, it used to. Decades ago.(Written for Banned Together Bingo 2020).
Relationships: Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Series: Banned Together Bingo 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1748488
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18
Collections: Banned Together Bingo 2020





	The Art of War

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Strong Women Leaders.
> 
> CW: None.

“Uncle Sokka!” She’s been focused on learning more about the Kyoshi Warriors for the longest time, and it isn’t until Lin sees her uncle approaching that she leaves the group of much older girls, trying to run as fast as possible to meet him. With an important meeting at the Southern Water Tripe, it only felt natural for him to bring her with him, especially as Toph reaches the last few months of her pregnancy.

In the end, becoming an older sibling is never easy, even if Sokka doesn’t remember much about his life before Katara. 

“Look!” She asks, right as Sokka picks her up from the floor. Both she and Suki ended up staying up later than thought possible, making alterations to the uniform, and in the end, Lin fell asleep in her bed as she continued making them. Lin’s tall for her age, and as it turns out, Suki wasn’t much different, and the next morning, it’s almost as if her uniform belonged to Lin all along. “D’you like it?”

“Let me look at you,” With Lin all over him, demanding his attention, there isn’t enough time for him to greet Suki, but in the end, it doesn’t matter. Both of them have the rest of the weekend for themselves. Smiling at her, Sokka adds, at last, “You look beautiful.”

“No,” Whining as Sokka leans into to press a kiss against her cheek, Lin pushes his face away in protest. “You’ll ruin the makeup!”

From there, it doesn’t take much for Lin to free herself from his grip and run to one of the older girls, and, at the sight, Suki can’t keep herself from giggling. Qiu, Suki remembers her name, takes Lin’s hand in hers, before going back to teaching her some of the other stances, the same stances that have been keeping all of them safe and alive for centuries.

Both of them alone for a moment, Suki takes the moment to press a brief kiss against his lips, her arms around him. Her attention back to her girls, Suki notices some of the other girls joined Qiu, most of them trying to help Lin improve her stance: she’s clumsy, and Suki doesn’t blame her. She’s young and still learning, and at that, Suki can’t help but smile.

There are many things Suki remembers about her childhood in Kyoshi Island, but being this relaxed, having fun, of all things, certainly isn’t one of them. There had never been enough time for that at the time. At least, not in Kyoshi Island.

“Is that your--”

“-- Yeah. The first one,” Cutting him off, Suki nods, and, smiling, her eyes never once leave Lin. At the time, she remembers being slightly older than her, remembers being slightly taller, nothing but skin and bones, and it didn’t take long for Suki to need another uniform. A bigger one. “It belonged to Old Man Li’s daughters.”

To Meng, at first, and before that, to Jia, her older sister.

She remembers watching them practice, remembers Meng being closer to her, and teaching her something or another. Suki’s first fans were made of iron and silk, perfect for a girl her age, before getting the real ones: the ones made out of nothing but steel, the ones that became her best friends and protected her against Fire Nation’s soldiers, against pirates, ready to cut their heads without making any effort.

And, more often than not, Suki remembers her father. Watching her practice, lips curving into a smile. Proud of the woman she’d become someday. She remembers their deaths, and soon after meeting Aang, she remembers the moment all of them decided to join the war, even if Kyoshi Island had managed to remain neutral for the past century.

But if there is something Suki doesn’t remember, is seeing someone so small wearing their uniform. She doesn’t remember the last time someone so young walked into the dojo to do anything other than watch the older girls, either.

These days, the Southern Water Tribe and the United Forces mostly keep Kyoshi Island safe, and there hasn’t been a raid in years. Decades, if Suki’s being honest.

“I kept it,” Shrugging, Suki says a moment later. It feels as if forever has passed since she last spoke, and her dry throat aches as she continues speaking, “Just in case.”

In case the Hundred Year War never ended, at first. In case the United Forces and the Southern Water Tribe fall apart, and Kyoshi Warriors are the only ones keeping Kyoshi Island afloat. If, someday, Suki has children of her own. Daughters. Small children that’d have fans made out of iron and silk thrusted into their small hands before they can even as much as form a proper sentence.

(A long time ago, both of them talked about it. Before Republic City became Republic City, and once again, soon after Izumi was welcomed into their family, but, in the end, Suki couldn’t. Wouldn’t even as much as put some thought into it.)

With that thought in mind, there isn’t much either of them can say, and, in the end, there’s no need to. By her side, Suki can hear Sokka nodding, almost as if he understands her completely.

And, perhaps, part of him does.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on [Tumblr](http://mricg.tumblr.com/) and [Twitter](http://twitter.com/mricjwrites).
> 
> Comments and Kudos are loved and appreciated!


End file.
